Members of the Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, popularly known as ‘APC loyal’ have announced their defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Speaking on behalf of the defecting members at the old APC factional secretariat, the Kwara-South Senatorial chairman of the “APC loyal” faction, Mr. Rasak Alabi, said they have lost confidence in the chairmanship of the party led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu because of his allegiance to Governor AbdulRazaq.
He said, “Despite our endurance in the face of the inhuman treatment meted to us in the party, it will be correct to suggest that the Kwara State governor, working in tandem with the former National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mallam Mai Mala Buni has decided to edge us out of the party against our wish.
“And to make matters worse, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, who once headed the party’s National Reconciliation Committee, has denied us fair hearing but rather turned himself to Governor AbdulRazaq’s solicitor and advocate, is now the party’s national chairman. How then can we be hopeful of getting justice in this circumstance?
“We do not think we have a future in this party any longer and it will be safer for us to look elsewhere where our democratic views and opinions will be respected.”
“If the national leadership of the party does not believe that we are politically relevant in the state, we need to make them understand also that the man they queue behind is also a blown fuse and not capable of leading the party to any victory in the state, come 2023.
“Seated with us at this press briefing are all the 193 ward chairmen, 16 local government chairmen and all the State Working Committee members who have jointly decided with our numerous supporters to announce to you today our official defection and mass movement of our supporters and party members from the APC to the Social Democratic Party,” Al
abi added.
Receiving the new members to the party, the National Chairman of SDP, Dr. Olu Agunloye, represented by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr Rufus Ayenigba, assured the defecting members that the party is for fairness and justice, which would help them achieve their political aspirations.
“I pity them for losing you to us. It’s a pleasure to receive this mammoth crowd to a party that is poised to take over government in 2023.
“The SDP is spreading fast across the country. We have four presidential aspirants now and it is the only party having a very strong female presidential aspirant in the country today,” he said.
The state chairman of the SDP, Mallam Ibrahim Yahaya, in his brief remark said that the party will not discriminate against the new members.
The former secretariat of the faction at 26 Abdulrazaq Road, Flower Garden, GRA, Ilorin, has been branded with the SDP symbol and adorned with posters of members interested in contesting 2023 elections on the platform of the SDP.
What happened?
Crisis in the APC began to manifest in the APC early during the one-year anniversary of the present administration.
The fight eventually degenerated between the governor and his group and the BOB’s group, led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Mr. Bolarinwa, who is loyal to Mr. Mohammed, was removed by the national caretaker committee of the party led by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and replaced with Abdullahi Samari before the last convention that eventually produced the new chairman of the party – Prince Sunday Fagbemi.
